For all the pageantry, lore, and tradition that surrounds the Army-Navy football rivalry, this year’s game takes things to new heights – both on the field and off.

Whether you’re a die-hard loyalist tracking every move of your alma mater, or you’re a college gridiron fan eager for one last regular-season showdown, or your football season begins and ends on the second Saturday of December, MOAA has you covered – first with the basics, and then with some details that could set this year’s edition of the rivalry showdown apart from the past (or at least win you a few style points during pregame tailgate conversations). Ready to skip the pomp and circumstance? Click here to get your football fix.

Gear Up for Gameday

• Who/Where/When: The Navy Midshipmen (8-3, 6-2 American Athletic Conference) face the Army West Point Black Knights (11-1, 8-0 AAC) at 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturday at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
  
  
• TV: The game will air on CBS television and stream on Paramount+. Both will carry a 30-minute pregame show starting at 2:30 p.m. Eastern, while CBS Sports Network will air the march-ons (noon Eastern) and a special tailgate show (1:30 p.m. Eastern). Not sure if you get CBS Sports Network? Check here.
  
  
• How Else: American Forces Network will carry the contest live. Thinking about scoring a late ticket? Both schools’ allotments have been sold out for months, and the secondary market is thriving – many standing-room only tickets are well over $200, with some seats into four figures.
  
  
• Find MOAA!: Heading to the game? MOAA’s street team will be outside Northwest Stadium – say hello and walk away with a free giveaway!
  
  
• Know the Gear: Army’s all-black apparel honors the 101st Airborne Division’s “Rendezvous with Destiny” at Bastogne in 1944. Navy’s white uniforms take to the skies in tribute to the “Jolly Rogers” aviation unit. Words and photos barely scratch the surface of the legacies behind the gear, so check out these hype videos instead (Sound up. Way up.):
  
  

The Story So Far

• Game 125: Navy leads the series 62-55-7, but Army’s won the last two years, including a 17-11 victory in 2023. The teams have met at this stadium only once before, with Navy earning a 27-21 win in 2011.
  
  
• Trophy to the Winner: Both teams took down Air Force earlier this season, so whoever sings second will also take home the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, awarded to the victor in the annual three-team service academy round-robin rivalry. The hardware resides at West Point after Army claimed it in 2023, but it’s been on the move in recent years, with each academy holding it at least twice since 2015.
  
  
• Rare Air for Army: In 125 years of Army-Navy matchups, Army has never entered the rivalry showdown with double-digit victories already under its belt. The Black Knights’ 35-14 win over Tulane at West Point on Dec. 6 claimed the AAC title for the squad in its first year with the conference and tied the school record for most victories in a season. Win or lose Saturday, Army will wrap up its season Dec. 28 in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against Marshall.
  
  
• Navy Righting the Ship?: Navy’s 35-0 home loss to Tulane on Nov. 16 ended the Mids’ AAC title hopes, but they’ve had time to recover – in the four weeks since, they’ve played just once, defeating East Carolina 34-20 on the road. In that time, Army has played a conference championship game, edged out the University of Texas-San Antonio in its AAC regular-season finale on Nov. 30, and taken a 49-14 beating from Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium on Nov. 23.

What’s Next

• Future Sites: The rivalry heads to Baltimore in 2025, to East Rutherford, N.J. (home of the NFL’s Jets and Giants) in 2026, and back to its historic home of Philadelphia in 2027.
  
  
• Future Rights: CBS recently inked a deal to extend its existing Army-Navy contract for a decade, through 2038.
  
  
• Future Playoffs?: Could a service academy team play its way into the expanded 12-team college football playoff? The man in charge, a retired Air Force lieutenant general, discussed their chances with MOAA.

Between the Lines

Need more about the showdown itself? Check out these resources and articles to get up to speed on the players, the coaches, and the Xs and Os:

• Game Notes: From rosters to depth charts to coach and player bios to flyover times (3:07.45 p.m., if you’re curious, featuring the aforementioned “Jolly Rogers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 103), dive deep with pregame materials from Navy and Army West Point.
  
  
• Bryson Daily: The Army quarterback didn’t make the cut for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, but his stat line remains remarkable: His 37 total touchdowns broke the school record by 14 scores, and his 29 rushing TDs is best in school and conference history. Interviewed after his team's AAC title win over Tulane, he kept things simple: “Beat Navy.”
  
  
• Blake Horvath: Navy’s quarterback averages more yards per carry (6.73) than his Army counterpart (5.7). He missed much of the Tulane loss after a hard hit and sat out the Mids’ win over East Carolina, but he’s likely to start Saturday (listed alongside Braxton Woodson atop the depth chart) and possibly add to his Comeback Player of the Year résumé.
  
  
• Jeff Monken: The Army coach is 81-56 with the Black Knights and has been mentioned as a candidate for many open or soon-to-open top-tier college coaching positions. His response? “That means we’re winning.” He’s 6-4 all-time against Navy.
  
  
• Brian Newberry: Navy’s coach is 0-1 in the rivalry game. The Oklahoma native will have a homecoming, of sorts, on Dec. 27, when the Mids face the Sooners in the Lockheed Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 27 in Fort Worth, Texas. Learn more about the coach’s connection to the OU program.
  
  
• Road Warriors: It’s about 25 miles from Annapolis to Landover, but it’s still a road game for the Mids – something they’ve become quite familiar with at season’s end.